The heartbroken family of two sisters stabbed to death by a stranger in a London park say there are “no words” to describe their pain, as police continue to hunt for their killer.
The bodies of Nicole Smallman, 27, and 46-year-old Bibaa Henry were discovered next to each other in Freyent County Park in Wembley on June 7.
It came after the pair had met up with friends in the park on June 5 to celebrate Henry’s birthday.
The sisters’ family said: “The pain we feel as a family is so deep no words can express how we are feeling.
“This has had a devastating impact on our lives and each day gets worse to think our daughters, Bibaa and Nicole, are not with us and that they have been brutally killed by someone.”
Elder sister Henry was a senior social worker who was a “passionate advocate for safeguarding vulnerable children and families”, they said, adding: “Bibaa was just barely five foot but she had the heart of a lion and a smile that would put Blackpool illuminations to shame.”
Smallman’s parents said she “was a joy from the moment she entered this world”.
They said: “Nicole saw beauty in everything; she had a very calm and positive attitude towards most things in life.”
The Met Police has released new photos of the sisters at the park before their murders, calling on members of the public who may have seen something – or have CCTV or dash-cam footage – to get in touch.
Police said the pair were in “good spirits” and “taking selfie pictures, listening to music and dancing with fairy lights” until at least 1.13am on June 6.
People had left their celebration throughout the evening, with the sisters ending up alone in the park by around 12.30am.
Their last contact with friends and family was about 1.05am, police said. Calls to the victims at around 2.30am went unanswered.
Officers said that Smallman and Henry’s attacker – who was male – received significant injuries during the incident.
“Have you noticed a loved one, neighbour, colleague, friend or acquaintance with a significant unexplained injury, to their hands in particular?” police asked in an appeal published on Friday.
The bodies of the two women were found next to each other shortly after 1pm on June 7, with a post-mortem examination later revealing that they both died from multiple stab wounds.
Detective Chief Inspector Simon Harding, who is leading the investigation, said: “The victims were much loved sisters who were very close despite their age gap. They were surrounded by friends and family and it’s unimaginable what they are going through.
“So please do contact us with any information you may have which could assist, no matter how small. Someone out there knows something. I would ask them to look into their conscience and question their protection of an individual who has robbed a family of two beloved women.”
A 36-year-old man arrested in south London on suspicion of murder was released with no further action.